Automatic valve for fire-sprinkler systems.



Patented Nov. 3, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a jz, 2,1 a. BRYCE lnvemo:

Attorneys APPLICATION FILED FEB.17, 1914.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1,611,1 4.07 c, BRYCE! invemor Athcrneys WILLEAM G. IKE-YUP, GI" M ON'l'RiElsi, QUEBEC, CANADA.

.AUTUB LATEG VALVE FZRE-:PRINKLER SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Nov, 3, 1914.

' Application filed-February 17, 1914. Serial No. 810.171.

1' 0 all whom 2'25 may coucem r 4 Be it known that l. ll'lLLiAni C. Enron,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, resid ing at No. 250 Peel street, lllontreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented fic'ertain new and useful improvements in Automatic Valves for Fire-Sprinkler Systems; and I do hereby declare shut the following is a ,il'ull, clear; and exact description-of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same. v i

The invention to he hereineftm' described relates to automatic valves for the sprinkler systems.

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation, and use of the inveir tion, reference should be. had to the accompanyingdrawings forming part the present application. I

Throughout the several figures of the drawings like reference characters designate the same parts.

In the. drawings: Figure l is a central, vertical, longitudinal. cross section through a preferred form of the invention Fig. 2 a like view of a slightly modified forin adapted to not both as a dry pipe valve and an alarm valve; Fig. 3 is a like view oi. a further modification, also adopted to he used both as a dry pipe valve and us an alarm valve; Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a modified form of trip plate; and his. a vertical cross'sertiou on line 5 of Fig. l.

The main olijceis of the invention are to produce a singlwehainber strain t way valve for sprinkler s ems. whirh ill oilei a minimum of re istanee to the llow of the 1 water when in use, which will elliriently prevent water colunining. will not employ an} springs or similarly vasil broken parts in its construction, and whh' h will contain all of the operative and adjusting means of the valve within the valve casing or chamber so as to eileetuallv prevent the valves being tampered with.

Referring to the'drnwines in ile/tell, 1, l, 1 indicate a valve chamber in which 3n of the operating partsure mounted. It may be made in a single ousting in Fig. l or the pivot rod or pin ill. -valve ll has a much greater inner surface in two or more castings suitably bolted or otherwise secured together, as in Figs. 2 and 3. Each of these casings has an inlet 2 adapted to be coupled up to the water nlfdlll orother usual water supply, and an outlet 3, 3", 3 adapted to be similarly eonneeted to the riser of the sprinkler system. Preterubly, the inlet and outlet are in line, but this is not necessary. The inner end of each inlet 2, 2k. 2", is emmterbored or recessed to receive the usual channeled annular valve seat which communicates with a small passage 2, 2 2, through the wall of the valve chamber, to which passage any usualand well known alarm may be connected in well known manner. A h v-pass l, l t establishes eeuninunicetion between each of the inlets 2 and the interior of the valve chainh Within the chamber and adjacent the channeled annular valveseat pivotally mounted an arm 5, 5 5, provided with a hollow screw threaded lug t3, 6, 6 for a purpose to be later disclosed 'and carrying at one end a pivotally mounted main valve 7, 7, 1. the inner surface of which is just suilicicntly greater than the outer surface to perinitof an adequate seating of the valve. The opposite or pivot end of the arm 5 slotted or forked ai'icl between the two parts or branches thus formed is journalecl or pivotally mounted a trip plate 8, 8, for a purpose to he later disclosed. The single ivot rod l0, l0, l0 acts as a pivotal sup port to! both the arm and the Lip plate 8. The inner end of the bypass is closed by a differential valve ll. 11., 11" pivotally mounted on one end of an arm 12, 12, 12" which is pivotally mounted on *che pivot pin 3. l3. '13". scoured in the elminber close to This diilerentinl area than outer surface area, the ratio being about to one so that ten pounds air pressure within the valve chamber will eoun ter balance .60 pounds water pressure in the hy-puss. lhis arm is provided with e lug or shoulder adapted to he engaged by the tip of the previously mentioned trip plate. In the modification of Figs. 3; l, and 5,

adjacent edge of tne trip, plate. By turning this screw, the trip plate 8, 8, 8" and shoulder 14,14, 14: may be made to exactly engage, when the valves are both seated. In the modification of Fig. 2, the arms 5 and 12 are in substantial alinement, so that the shoulder 14 is in alinement with arms 5 and 12 and the lower edge of the trip plate 8, when operative, is also in like alinement. In this form, a stop bar 16 is provided to limit the upward swing of the arms, so that the difierential valve could not swing over and batter the main valve and its connections. In Fig. 1 this is not possible because the force of gravity, alone, would prevent it; the open position being shown in both figures in dotted lines, from which, the advisability ofthe stop 16, in the'form in Fig. 2, is evident. In the form of Fig. 3, the general idea of Fig. 1 is present, but the arm of the differential valve is reversed in its direction, relatively to the inlet and outlet and it is curved at its valve end to allow a practical position of the shoulder 14'. In this case, a shoulder 9 is formed on plate 8' for engagement with shoulder 14''.

Here, again, there is no possibility of the two valves and valve arms interfering, as

will be evident. Therefore, there is no stop necessary for the purpose. However, to prevent any possible jamming of the arm in its chamber, a stop or limit 17 is provided. In this figure, also, the open on inoperative position of these valves is shown in dotted lines.

By having the trip plate mounted and disposed as shown and described, there isno possibility of the shoulders becoming reengaged and the valves closed, after the differential valve has once raised far enough to permit the tip 01 the plate to slip from the tip of the shoulder. At this instant, the plate 8 drops by gravity to such position that its tip can not again become accidenally reengaged. If the plate were rigid with the valve arm, such re'e ngagement might be possible by a sudden check in the pressure of the water main at the instant that the main valve began its opening swing. This would jerk the valve quickly back and raise the plate, so that it would again fall abovethe shoulder (still in lowered position). If the air leak in the sysalarm sounded, as usual.

tems were very small, the device might thus become reset. With the pivotal trip plate, there is absolutely no chance of this.

By having the trip plate pivotally mount- 'ed, it is possible to use the invention both as a dry pipe valve and as an alarm valvethat is, in cooperation with the differential valve controlled by an air pressure in the sprinkler system; or, in warm enough weather, without the cooperation of the differential valve, and with the sprinkler system filled with wateras in the well known wet system. To change from the dry pipe system to the wet system, it is only necessary to trip the plate and allow it to hang in its inoperative position, as in Figs. 2 and 3. Then, the water from the main will not pass through the inlet 2 and into the riser until the pressure of the water in the system has been reduced below that of the pressure in the main, by a leakage in the sprinkler pipes. At such times, the valve 7 and its arm 5 will be swung upward and the On account of the inner and outer surface of the valve 7 being approximately the same, there is no possibility of-water columning. A suitable hand hole is provided in each form, of course, for

access to the interior of the valve chamber.

Thus, this device is equally applicable to both the wet and the dry pipe systems.

It is thought that the construction, operation, and use of the invention will be clear from the preceding detailed description.

Changes may be made inthe construction, arrangement, and disposition of the several parts of the invention without in any way departing from the field and scope of the same, and it is meant to include all such within this application wherein only a preferred form has been disclosed.

Having thusfully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire -to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. In a single-chamber straight-way valve, a valve chamber provided with inlet and outlet passages and a by-pass establishing communication between said inletpassage and the interior of the valve chamber, a valve arm pivotally mounted within said chamber and at one side of said inlet passage and adapted to swing completely out of the path of the incoming current of water, a main valve carried thereby, a second valve arm pivotally mountedwithifn said chamber and all times completely out of the path of the incoming current of water, ,a diiierential valve carried thereby and adapted to close the aforesaid by-pass, and connections between said valve arms whereby the last named arm controls the operation of the first named arm.

, 2. In a single-chamber straight-way valve,

and the interior of the valve chamber provided with inlet and ohtlet' passages and a by-pass establishing communication between said inlet passage valve chamber, a valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at one side of said inlet pas' sage and adapted td swing completely out of the path of the incoming current of. Water, a main valve-carried thereby, a second valve arm pivotallymounted Within said chamber and at all times com 'aletely out of the path of the incoming current of vater, a dillerentinl valve carried thereby and adapted to close the aforesaid bypass, a shoulder carried by the last named arm, and a trip actuated by the first named arm and adaptedto engage said shoulder.v

3.111 a single-chamber straight-way valve, a valve chainl'ier provided with inlet and outlet passages and a lay-pass establishing COmII'IUHlZHlLlOI between said inlet passage and the interior of the valve chamber, a valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at one side of said inlet passage and adapted to swing completely out of the path of the incoming current of Water, a main valve carried thereby, a second valve arm pivotally mounted within said chamber and at all times completely out of the path of the bottomingcurrent of Water, a differentiei valve carried thereby and adapted to close the aforesaid Toy-pass, a shoulder carried by the last named arm a trip actuated by the first named arm and adapted to engage said shoulder, and means for adjusting said trii'i.

l. In a single-chainber straight-Way valve,

a valve chamber provided With inlet and outlet passages and a, by-pass establishing connnunication between said inlet passage and the interior of the valve chamber, a valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at one side of saigl inlet passage and adapted to swing completely out of the path. of the incoming current of Water, a main valve carried thereby, second. valve arm. pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at all times completely out of the path of the incoming current of. Water, a differential valve carried thereby and adapted to close the 'i'hiresaid bypass, a shoulder car ried by the last named valve. arm, and a trip plat-e pivotally mounted on the pivot pin of the first mentioned valve arm and adapt d to engage the shoulder of the last named valve arm.

5. In a slngle chamher straight-Way valve, a valve chamber provided with inlet and outlet pas igcs and a by-pass establishing communication b \veen said inlet passage and the interior of the valve cl'iznnber, a valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at one side 01 said inlet pas sage andeidapted to swing completely out of the path of the incoming current 01"" water, a main valve carried thereby, a second. valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at all times completely out of the path bi the incoming current of Water, a difierential valve carried thereby and adapted to close the aforesaid lay-pass, a shoulder carried by the last named valve arr, and a trip jnlate pivotally mounted on the pivot pin of the first mentioned valve arm and adapted to engage the shoulder of the last named valve arm, said trip plate being adapted to drop by gravity to inoperative position immediately after tripping.

6. In a, single-chamber straight-vvay valve, a valve chamber provided with inlet and outlet passages and a lay-pass establishing communicationbetween said i'nlet passage and the interior of the valve chamber, a.

valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and atione side of said inlet passage and adapted to swing completely out of the path of the incoming c rrent of water, a main valve carried thereby, a second valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at all times completely out of the pathof the incoming current of Water, a differential valve carried thereby and adapted to close the aforesaid bypass, and trip connections between said arms whereby the last named arm controls the operation oi the first named arm, said trip being adapted to drop to inoperative position immediately upon completion of the tripping action.

7. In a single-chamberstraight-Way valve,

a valve chamber provided with inlet and ol'itlet passages and a lay-pass establishing communication between said inlet passage and the interior of the valve chamber, av valve arm pivotally mounted Within said chamber and at one side of said inlet passage and adapted to swing completely out of the path of the incoming current of Water, main valve carried thereby, a second valve arm pivotally mounted within said chamber and at all times completely out of the path of the incoi'ning current or" Water, a differential valve carried thereby and adapted to close the aforesaid by pass, trip coiuiections between said arms whereby the last named arm controls the operation of the first named arm, said trip being adaptcd'to drop to inoperative position immediately upon completion of the tripping action, and nieans for adjusting said trip.

8. In a singlochaniberstraight-Way valve,

a valve chamber provided with inlet and a main valve carried thereby, a second valve to engage the shoulder of thelast named 10 arm pivotully mounted within said chamber i valve arm, and means for adJustmg sald and at all time; completely out of the path trip plate.

of the ineuming current of water, a differ- In, witness whereof I have hereunto set ential valve carried thereby and adapted to my hand in the presence of two Witnesses. close the aforesaid by-puss, a shoulder car- WILLIAM C. BRYCE. ried by the last named valve arm, a trip Witnesses:

plate pivotally mounted on the pivot pin of V. S. BABCOGK the first mentioned valve arm and adapted A. BASTIEN 

